Fourth Annual JAMES® Awards for 5th Grade Writing

Published: February 28, 2016

Who needs the Academy Awards? At St. James’, our students are celebrating each other’s writing ability and creativity in their own way.

In February, the 5th grade’s focus on creative writing culminated in the Fourth Annual JAMES® Awards for 5th Grade Writing. Each student planned, wrote, revised, and edited a story and presented it to the other class for critique and judging. Superlatives were presented in each class in the categories of Dialogue, Description, Beginning, Conflict, Climax & Ending, Protagonist, Antagonist, and Overall. The accolades are listed below. Congratulations to all the winners!

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Best Dialogue

Violet B.

Best Dialogue (5–Krueger)

The award for Best Dialogue went to Violet’s “Angels Versus Devils.” This story is about a battle between Ciara, the Devil Queen, and Angelica, the Official Officer of Heaven’s Security System. Asked about her favorite part, Violet says, “I’m not going to spoil too much of it, but [my favorite part is] when Ciara is freaking out at Bob Adkins about not seeing the angels coming. But you’ll have to read it to see what I mean.” Nice job, Violet!

Hailey F.

Best Dialogue (5–Yi)

Hailey’s story “The Lost Dog” won the award for Best Dialogue. In this story, a young girl loses her dog to theft and resolves to do anything to get her back. Hailey says it was hard to come up with the story, but she believes the dialogues she wrote were worthy of the award they earned. Nice job, Hailey!

Best Description

Skylar W.

Best Dialogue (5–Krueger)

Skylar’s story “Shadow’s Bane” won the Best Description award. In this story, a white Dragonborn character named Skelnarc finds himself alone with his baby sister after a slavemaster executes their mother. He must escape to freedom to save himself and his sister. Asked how she believes she earned the award, Skylar says, “I think that I described everything in rich detail, with descriptions that bring the characters’ emotions to life.” Great work, Skylar!

Gavin G.

Best Description (5–Yi)

The award for Best Description went to Gavin’s story “Bounty.” This story is about a wizard who goes on a hunt for a bounty hunter and terrorist named Jade. Gavin says he put a lot of time into writing and revising his story and that his favorite part is when the wizard battles Jade. Great work, Gavin!

Best Beginning

Audrey P.

Best Beginning (5–Krueger)

Audrey’s story “Brotherly Hate” won the award for Best Beginning. In this story, the protagonist Dapplesnout must save her brother from a terrible fate, whether or not he wants to be saved! Asked how she thinks her story won the award, Audrey says, “I think my beginning got people into the characters.” Nice job, Audrey!

Lucy O.

Best Beginning (5–Yi)

The story that won for Best Beginning was Lucy’s “The Magic Pen.” This story is about two friends who find a magic pen that makes whatever they draw come to life. Drama ensues and threatens their friendship! Lucy says her favorite part is the award-winning beginning, in which the pen’s magic becomes apparent. Nice job, Lucy!

Best Conflict

Lucas L.

Best Conflict (5–Krueger)

The Best Conflict award was given to Lucas for his story “Detention.” In it, two boys get sent to detention with an overseeing teacher who at first seems very nice, but turns out to be the devil! The boys must “battle it out,” as Lucas says. He believes that the strong action in the story led to his receiving the award. Nice job, Lucas!

Caitlin W.

Best Conflict (5–Yi)

The award for Best Conflict went to Caitlin’s story “Black Wolf.” The plot follows a wolf who faces many troubles on her quest for her family and her destiny. Caitlin says that writing this story was difficult, but she kept believing in herself and never gave up. “The twists and turns in the story are fun,” she adds. Great work, Caitlin!

Best Climax & Ending

Willa J.

Best Climax & Ending (5–Krueger)

Willa’s story “Pearl” won the award for Best Climax & Ending. “Pearl” is about a girl named Kim who goes to Martha’s Vineyard to find her lost father. The plot goes through twists and turns, but fortunately Kim finds friendship along the way. Willa says, “My favorite part in my story is the epilogue. It’s very dramatic and intense.” Well done, Willa!

Ondine C.

Best Climax & Ending (5–Yi)

Ondine’s story “The Burid Empire” won the award for Best Climax & Ending. Ondine says, “My story is a magical journey to a land of wonders and mysteries.” She says she worked hard to come up with original ideas, and she believes it was her hard work that won her the award. Nice job, Ondine!

Best Protagonist

Amelia D.

Best Protagonist (5–Krueger)

The Best Protagonist award went to Lina, the 16-year-old main character in Amelia’s story “Brother Sister Love.” Lina’s inner feelings come out as she protects her 4-year-old brother from zombies who are violently overtaking Los Angeles in the year 2026. Amelia says she worked hard on her descriptions of characters and events in the story. Well done, Amelia!

Nicole L.

Best Protagonist (5–Yi)

Nicole’s story “How I Found My Father” won the award for Best Protagonist. The winning protagonist is Zoe, a girl who grew up without a father and now must figure out how a mysterious man she keeps meeting is connected to her past. Nicole says that Zoe’s determination and likable personality make her a strong character worthy of the Best Protagonist award. Great work, Nicole!

Best Antagonist

Lauren M.

Best Antagonist (5–Krueger)

The award for Best Antagonist went to Lauren’s story “A Thousand Wishes.” The winning antagonist is Professor Rocky, a character who frustrates the young protagonist Tara in her efforts to save her mother. Lauren says it was hard to write the story while keeping up her participation in gymnastics, but her mom and her dad helped her to develop her characters along the way. Great work, Lauren!

Charlotte Q.

Best Antagonist (5–Yi)

Charlotte’s story “The Trio, While the Rats Crawl In” won the Best Antagonist award. In this story, a girl named Chelsea sets out with her twin brother, cousin, and new friend James to find her lost parents. At the climax, the award-winning antagonist, a villain named Ratman, kills James, and Charlotte says she thinks it was this plot point earned her story the award. Well done, Charlotte!

Best Overall

Sascha S.

Best Overall (5–Krueger)

Sascha won the award for Best Overall with “Pulled Away,” a story of two triplets who are separated. Sascha says she experienced writer’s block in the process of creating her story, but she believes that she won the award because she put so much heart into it. What’s her favorite part? “I cannot choose, really,” she says, “but it would have to be the beginning.” Congratulations, Sascha!

Stella K.

Best Overall (5–Yi)

The award for Best Overall went to Stella’s story, titled “A Tale of a Tail,” about a mermaid who is trying to find her father. Stella says the hardest part of writing her “tale” was revising and finding mistakes, but the time she spent on it paid off and earned her the award. Her favorite part, she says, is when the protagonist finally finds her father. Congratulations, Stella!